It was like gall and wormwood to Lef to hear any one say good things of Frank Allen. Every time this happened it seemed as though he were being robbed of something that by right should belong to him.
When they gathered that afternoon on the diamond, Lef was around to watch and criticise as the humor seized him. And Tony Gilpin also made his appearance, although seldom seen of late on the athletic field.
“No show this afternoon to get it, Lef,” he remarked, as he threw himself down near the other on the grass under a tree that grew outside the confines of the grounds.
“Rotten luck! Of course he wouldn’t carry it in his baseball uniform. That means we’ll have to wait our chance. And till I get my fingers on that paper I don’t dare so much as peep for fear that he shows me up,” grunted Lef.
From which it may be readily understood that he was even then laying plans looking to another robbery, this time in order to destroy all evidence of his participation in that other offense. So one crime often leads to another, after the first step has been taken along the broad way.
The boys were soon batting and throwing, while waiting for the arrival of enough fellows to make up the scrub team.
Captain Seymour was a clever manager and he had noticed just where the team had seemed a bit weak during that great game with Bellport. It was now his aim to strengthen those lame spots as best the short time allowed.
Those who had made errors of judgment were to be put through a course whereby they might reasonably remedy that defect. If a fielder had shown wavering in the matter of running in on a fly or backing away, he was to be bombarded with high, vaulting ones until he seemed perfect.
And so it went on. Columbia just then had no regular coach, since the instructor at the school, who had played that benevolent part with them earlier in the season, had been called away by the illness of his father.
“Who’s missing?” called Seymour, as he began to pick out his men, and arrange with the captain of the scrub for the opening of a little five-inning game.